Late Tuesday evening, the National Park Service, a division of the Interior Department, unveiled its shutdown strategy. According to the plan, 9,296 out of 14,500 employees will be furloughed, yet many locations will continue to welcome visitors.
“Park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors,” the plan says.
The plan distinguishes between parks based on whether they have areas that generate fees under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, and those that don’t. A list detailing which parks charge fees can be found on the agency’s website.
Of the 400 parks in the National Parks system, roughly 100 collect fees. Parks with fee-generating areas will utilize available funds to offer “basic visitor services,” including maintaining “restrooms and sanitation, trash collection, roadway upkeep, campground operations, law enforcement, emergency services, and staffing entrance gates to provide essential safety information.”
Parks with accessible areas that don’t collect fees may be able to use “regional or national” fees with the approval of the service’s director.
During the shutdown, parks without accessible areas will not be operational, according to the NPS plan. Staff levels will be minimal, and “[n]o visitor services will be offered.” Activities such as issuing permits, running interpretive or educational programs, trash collection, restroom operations, road and walkway maintenance, and providing visitor information will not be conducted.
The guideline states, “Typically, if a facility or area is locked or secured during off-hours (such as buildings or gated parking areas), it should remain so throughout the shutdown.”
NPS also indicates that parks have the option to collaborate with state and local governments or third parties to secure donations aimed at fully operating a park unit or funding specific services.
